


Declan

by TheTravelerWrites



Series: Monster Lovers: Shelter Forest [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bat Monster, Brief Depiction of Attempted Sexual Assault, Brief Violence, Exophilia, F/M, Human/Bat, Human/Bat Monster, Human/Giant Bat, Human/Monster Romance, MONSTER FUCKER, Mild Language, Monster Lover, Monsterfucker, Oral Sex, Sex, Sexual Content, Terato, Teratophilia, human/monster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-19 20:20:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14880557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTravelerWrites/pseuds/TheTravelerWrites
Summary: My newest Terato fic about a soft bat boy named Declan. Minor violence and a very brief attempted assault at the very beginning, over quickly.





	1. Chapter 1

You were running as if your life depended on it. Because it did.

He was fast on your heels, shouting abuse and demanding you stop. Stopping was the last thing you were going to do. You knew what would happen if you did.

This fellow had been pursuing you for months. You had turned him down politely, then firmly, then impatiently, then brutally, but he just wasn’t taking no for an answer. This evening, he had come to your house and kicked the door in, slapping you across the face and pushing himself on you. You managed to crack him over the head with your iron and escape, but it hadn’t subdued him. In fact, it had enraged him. You knew if he got you, whatever he did to you was going to hurt.

Your legs were aching and you were losing speed, looking back frantically and saw him coming hard and fast at you, fury in his face that fueled his onslaught. You screamed loudly, insisting that he leave you alone and find someone else to bother. He snarled at you and jumped, catching your legs and tripping you, knocking the air out of your lungs.

Your heart pounded in your throat as he started to climb up your body, a hand pressing you into the ground, and you shrieked.

Another shriek, far in the distance, answered.

Then, suddenly, the weight of your attacker disappeared. Through the mist of the evening, you heard his startled, pained yell echo through the trees. Then, you were alone.

You rolled onto your back and just _breathed _,__ the residual terror made your body tremble against the cold, wet grass. After a few moments, when your breathing slowed and your body stilled, you sat up and looked around. It was properly night now and the forest was oppressively dark around you, the sound completely dampened by fog and trees. You weren’t sure which way your cottage was, or how far into the forest you were.

In all honesty, you really didn’t want to go back to the village. Your parents died within months of each other a few years ago, after which you had inherited their little house. The people in your village seemed to think you odd, or at the very least unfriendly. They didn’t understand why you wouldn’t take one of the men who had been making offers for you. You couldn’t tell them it because you didn’t trust any of the men in your village, and after tonight, you knew had been right.

You knew how to hunt and farm, learning both from your father, and you mother had taught you how to weave your own fabric and sew your own clothes, so you never went into town for much very often. People at first had said the loss of your parents had turned you strange, but as time went on, more sinister whispers floated around, about pagan practices and communing with demons. You almost thought of taking up both, if only to see the looks on their smug faces.

Eventually, you got to your feet and started walking. You had no idea if your were going the right way, but you couldn’t stay in the forest all night.

After an hour, you knew you were lost. You sat down on a rock, huffing with exertion, and put your head in your hands.

Your head snapped up when you heard a soft chittering in the trees above you, to the right. You stood, frowning, trying to see what had made the noise. When you heard it again, several feet away, you started following it.

After a few yards, you heard the chittering again, directly in front of you but farther away and you sprinted toward it. Every time you got close to the sound, it would dart quickly away, keeping out of your vision. You didn’t know where it was leading you, but it was better than sleeping on the forest floor.

Eventually you crashed headlong out of the forest and back at your cottage. Stunned, you picked yourself up and jumped back into the treeline, waving your hand over your head at the dark.

“Thank you!” You shouted into the open air.

You heard a burbling screech answer you.

Smiling, you went back inside and tried to figure out how to fix your door.

* * *

 

You didn’t see your attacker again after that night, and people in town started speculating as to what could have happened to him. You didn’t join the gossip. But you did go into town that day for the first time in months and bought a wide range of things. You wanted to do something for whatever it had been that had helped you. You purchased a nice cut of meat, some rare vegetables for the region, and a whole basket full of fruit. You also picked up some raw wool, cotton, and flax for spinning later.

Making your way back home, you couldn’t help but notice the stares of people in their doorway and windows as you passed. An uneasy feeling settled over you, but you brushed it off. They had always found you odd, what else is new?

You cooked the meat and some vegetables, putting aside a large portion of it, and ate your dinner quickly. Afterward, you took the plate with the extra meat and vegetables, plus the basket of fruit, and walked into the forest with it.

After a few yards, you stopped in front of a decently large tree, and placed the plate and basket down on a flattish root.

“Thank you for helping me,” You called out, feeling kind of silly. You heard nothing in response. “I hope you like it.”

Leaving the offerings at the tree, you turned and walked back to your house.

The next morning, you went out and checked the plate and basket. The meat and vegetables were completely untouched, but all of the fruit was gone.

Smiling, you took the plate and basket back in, reheating the meat and vegetables and ate it for breakfast.

After another trip to the market, during which time you stocked up on as much fruit as you could carry, you saw people shaking their heads at you, whispering behind their hands. Again, you ignored them.

Each night for a week, you left a gift of fresh fruit for your savior, and each morning, you awoke to find it happily eaten or taken. One morning, you found a small pearl in the bottom of the empty basket. You wondered where it had come from. The sea was miles away.

You laughed, though. “You don’t have to give me things,” you said merrily, picking up the basket to leave. “This is for saving my life, remember?”

You heard that strange chittering again, the one that led you out of the forest. You stopped and turned, but could see nothing. You knew this… person couldn’t have been human, and you were very curious to see what it really was.

That night you were resolved to see your rescuer. You placed the basket of fruit down by the tree and sat down, prepared to wait. An hour passed, and there was nothing. No movement, no sounds.

“Are you there?” You asked the wind. “Don’t be afraid. I just want to thank you in person. I won’t hurt you, I swear.”

Still nothing. You continued to wait, and eventually you fell asleep.

When you woke, it was morning, and you were in your bed inside the cottage. Jumping up, you dashed out to the basket, and again it was empty. There was a small clay deer statue at the bottom. You smiled when you picked it up.

“Thank you!” You shouted. The chittering sounded off to your right, and you heard a __whooshing__ sound accompany it.

A few days later, you knew something was wrong. Everyone glared at you when you went into town. A few of the vendors refused to sell to you. You gave them a sharp word or two before heading home, feeling a creeping dread crawl up your back.

You couldn’t say why, but as soon as you got home, you readied your bow, slung the quiver on your waist, and fletched a few new arrows, just in case. You also packed a small bag with clothes, food, and a few other essentials. You could always rely on your instincts, and right now they were telling you you might need to disappear for a little while.

Sure enough, that evening, just before dark, there was a loud banging on your door and a lot of angry voices shouting your name, demanding you come out and account for your sins.

“What sins?” You retorted angrily as you hurriedly threw the strap of the bag over your shoulder and put on your heaviest cloak.

“The sin of consorting with demons,” An enraged voice shouted through the door, pounding on it again. “Many in the village have observed you leaving offerings for the beast! We cannot abide this blasphemy here!”

“That’s absurd!” You shouted back, putting the largest knife you had in a sheath at your belt and clasping the cloak closed. “What proof do you have of your claim?”

“You’d be surprised, witch!” You heard a loud bang and a rattle, certain they were attempting to kick the door in. “Come out before we drag you out!”

“All right! All right, back up and I’ll come out.”

The banging stopped, but the shouting did not. You opened the door to find a large group of angry men standing in front of your door, holding torches. It was almost cliche. You’d have laughed if you weren’t so angry.

“Step down, witch,” The leader said.

You knew him. He acted as a border guard for the village and had offered marriage for you several years ago, being very angry when you refused. Actually, you hadn’t refused it. You parents did when they had been alive, absolutely appalled that a full grown man would offer for a fifteen year old.

You walked down, and he took your arm roughly. He led you quickly to town centre, pulling you viciously along, and stopped you in front of a large crowd, all of whom were screaming with rage and hatred at something in the middle. As you were brought forward, the crowd stepped aside, and you were shocked to see what they were huddled around.

It was a bat, the largest you had ever seen, twice the size of a normal man. It had spears and arrows sticking out of it’s back and was whimpering weakly. It’s fur was brown and rust-colored, looking extremely soft to the touch, though a lot of it was matted and stained red with with blood. It had large black eyes, a flat, wide nose, and very long, broad ears. Large, leathery wings draped down from it’s arms and long fingers, with it’s thumbs sticking out, and it’s feet were paws with wicked looking talons at the end. He was being held to the ground with thick ropes. Men with spears surrounded him, poking him cruelly to make him squeal.

It’s eyes were rolling madly, but when they saw you, they stopped and stared, widening. It opened it’s mouth a little and made a chittering sound.

You stomach dropped and your mouth fell open in horror. Your rescuer! These awful, hateful people had captured him because you had been feeding him and keeping him close to you. This was your fault.

Tears coursed down your cheeks as you looked at him, pinned to the ground with ropes and spears. His eyes begged you desperately to help him. And by gods, help him you would.

You flung off your cloak and slipped the bow from around your shoulders just as rain began to fall. Nocking an arrow, you took aim at the village elder, standing in front of the creature with a smug smirk on his stupid face. People around you immediately stepped back and gasped. You drew the string back and shouted for him to step away with as much vitriol as you could muster.

“Ho-ho!” He exclaimed, pointing at you. “See how she jumps to the monster’s defense? What more evidence do you need?”

“This ‘monster’ saved my life,” You snarled, advancing on the elder slowly. “That’s more than any of you have ever done.”

“We allowed you to stay in our village after your parents died, after you became strange and weak!” He shot back. “We gave you shelter, and how do you repay our kindness? You being evil into our midst.”

“The only evil I see here is you,” You say venomously, still advancing. The bat creature became still as you approached, looking at you with something bordering on unwavering trust.

“How unrepentant! What flagrant ingratitude!” He said, standing his ground. “We should have cast you out long before today. But now you leave us no choice. Let us kill the creature, and you will be free to leave this place, never to return. Otherwise, you share it’s fate.”

“No.”

The elder sniffed and smiled. “Very well.” His gaze shifted to something behind you.

Before you could turn to look, something hard and moving fast connected with the side of your head, knocking you to the ground. You gripped the bow blindly, unable to see passed the blood in your eyes.

An earsplitting shriek echoed throughout the clearing, making people clutch their ears and drop to the ground. Your vision was hazy and your head pounded, but you could  hear the sound of ropes snapping and people screaming, running to and fro, here and there.

Suddenly, you were lifted off the ground and carried away, but you were in too much pain to feel afraid. At some point, you lost consciousness.

When you came to, you were lying on your cloak that had been spread out over soft moss with the forest around you and your bow at your side. It was still raining, but the thick canopy above kept most of it at bay.

You sat up slowly, putting a hand to your aching head, and looked around. There, about twenty feet away, was the creature. He was hunched and staring at you, the spears and arrows still sticking out of his back.

“Are you all right?” He asked, his voice deep and... kind? You weren’t that familiar with _kind_ anymore, so you almost forgot what it sounded like.

“Yes,” You said, though when you pulled you hand away, you saw blood. “Well, under the circumstance. But you, you’re really hurt.”

He shrugged, then winced. “I’ve been worse.”

“That’s not encouraging,” You said, standing slowly. He watched you with apprehension. When you stepped forward, he stepped back.

“I need to get those out and treat your wounds,” You said.

Still he hesitated. “Are you not afraid?”

“Of you?” You asked. When he nodded, you said, “Aren’t you the person who saved me from that man who attacked me two weeks ago? The one who led me out of the forest? The one who’s been eating the fruit and leaving me gifts?”

“Yes,” He replied.

“Then no, I’m not scared. How could I be? You’re the first person to show me any real kindness since my parents died. Besides, even if I were scared of you, I’d still be grateful. I’d never let those monsters kill you.”

He picked himself up off of the ground and looked at you with an odd expression.

“Will you let me help you?” You ask him. “We need to get the objects out and put a salve on so it doesn’t get infected. Is that all right?”

“Yes. Please,” He replied.

You came close, and he seemed to fight an impulse to run and lay down in front of you so that you could reach his wounds.

“Take a deep breath, all right?” You said as your hand closed around the shaft of an arrow. He nodded and sucked in a breath. You yanked the arrow out and he bellowed in pain.

“I’m sorry,” You hissed through gritted teeth. “I’m so sorry, I know it hurts.”

“It’s all right,” He replied a little breathlessly. “But, hurry perhaps?”

“Of course,” You said. You reached up and pulled another out quickly, and another, and another. Eventually, you had pulled no fewer than twelve ranged objects out of his flesh. He was writhing and whimpering in pain, and you were seething with rage.

You pulled the salve from your bag and began to spread it over the wounds, and he moaned in both pain and relief. While doing this, you let a stream of obscenities at the elder and villagers escape unfiltered, and you thought he laughed a time or two.

Finally, when you were done, he raised himself up and sat on his haunches with his arms resting on his knees, peering at you curiously. You found yourself blushing under the weight of his scrutiny.

He asked you your name and you gave it. You asked him for his in return, and he paused.

“Do you not have a name?” You ask him.

“I don’t remember,” He said. “Perhaps I did once, but I was young and I lost it.”

“Hmm,” You hummed. “Why don’t I call you Declan? My Da always said that if I’d had a brother, than he’d have named him Declan. I think it’s a nice name.”

He smiled, a strange look on his muzzle, but not an unpleasant one. “That sounds fine.” He looked at you in worry. “We must also see to your wounds,” He said. “You have a nasty gash on your head. One of those people threw a rock at you.” He scowled in memory.

“Oh, yes,” You said, using the collar of your wet dress to clean the blood from your face and using the salve on the puckering wound near your temple. It stung, but that just meant it was working.

You opened your mouth to ask him another question, but you heard a shout in the distance, coming toward you.

“We shouldn’t stay here,” You said in a low tone. “They’ll be searching for us. Is there somewhere safe we can go?”

“Yes,” He said, standing to his full height. Again, she was struck by how tall he was, towering over you. “My home is not far. It’s secluded and safe. No one has ever found it in all the time I have lived there.”

“How long have you lived there?”

He paused again. “A time.” He looked down at you and frowned. “I will need to carry you again. Is that all right.”

You nodded. “Of course.”

He turned and knelt down so that you could climb onto his back. Flinging the bow over your shoulder and tying your cloak back on, you put your hands firmly around his neck and held on for dear life. He deftly climbed up the nearest tree to the top and took off, his massive wings gracefully navigating the torrent of rain that you now found yourself in. His fur was soft and slick with the rain, and a time or two you found it hard to keep your grip. But he’d even out a bit and allow you to climb higher on his back until you were more steady and continued on.

Finally, after what seemed like miles, he set himself down on the ground in front of a large hollow tree. It was big enough that he could walk into it standing up straight. You followed him inside and was led down a concealed, makeshift stairwell at the other end. The stairs led into a large cave.

Despite being made of stone, it was a fairly cozy place. There was a nest of furs, blankets, and clean straw in one corner, and shelves carved into the rock that held a number of useful things. There was even a small pantry with large bushels of fruit, berries, nuts, and seeds, kept fresh and out of the heat. She found herself marveling at it all.

“This is really nice, Declan,” You said, smiling.

He watched you prowl around his home. “Really?” He said in surprise.

“Yeah. It could use a fire pit and maybe a table, but otherwise it’s really kind of inviting.” You pulled a cloth from your bag and asked, “Do you have some water? I want to wash your wounds and get the blood out of your fur. We don’t want you getting an infection.”

He nodded, going out of the doorway and coming back a few minutes later with a pail of water. There was a decent sized river about a hundred yards away from the mouth of the cave, he explained. He also had some rough soap. He insisted he liked to keep as clean as he was able, since being dirty and smelly was a good way to attract predators. You said you were surprised he had any. He laughed and replied that bears are pretty much a predator to everything. There were also some territorial nagas and arachnes on the outer boundaries of his land that were always looking to pick fights. He frowned then, cautioning you not to wander.

After he sat down, as you carefully washed his back, he shuffled his feet a bit in front of him. “You know you can’t go back to the village. It’s not safe for you there.”

You sighed. “I know. I don’t know where I’ll go, but I’m scrappy, I’ll survive.”

“I should think so,” He said, amused. “You certainly have some fire in your soul. I can’t believe you pointed a bow at your village elder for me.”

“I do it again, too. That man is a troll; really loud and ugly, but brains the size of a fruit fly’s testicle.”

He snickered through his nose, and you couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need,” He said. “You can even have the nest. I’ll sleep over here.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Declan. Thank you.”

He shrugged. “It’s the least I can do. You saved my life. I owe you.”

You shook your head. “No, sir, I believe that makes us even.”

“Then to repay you for the fruit,” He said, motioning at the pile in the pantry. “It was delicious, by the way. I kept the seeds, too. I wanted to start my own orchard so that I don’t have to forage so much. I fear I may be displacing the natural wildlife of this area. I do eat quite a lot.”

“That’s a good idea.” After you finished the scrub down, you dumped the bloody water outside of the door and reapplied the salve. You then took off your soaked cloak, laying it to the side and fishing out dry clothes from your bag. “You’ll need tools. I know a bit about farming, so I could help you, if you like.”

“I would.”

You smiled at him and then grimaced. “That means I will have to go back to my cottage at some point, if only to get materials. I’d be surprised if they haven’t burned it down, though.”

“You should wait a while before you do,” He said with a concerned frown. “They’ll be frothing at the mouth for while.”

“Yeah, you’re right. No going out in this rain anyway.” You held up the clothes. “Do you mind turning so I can change?”

 “Of course.” He said, turning his back to you.

After you changed, he treated you to a meal from his pantry. It was good, but a diet of fruit wasn’t going to satisfy you for long. You were just a little bit of a carnivore. Good thing you still had your bow.

“Do you only eat fruit?” You asked him.

“Yes,” He replied, eating an apple whole, pits and all, munching noisily. “Well, I eat berries and nuts, too. And the occasional nectar flower, if I can find them. They’re a rare treat in these woods.”

“Well,” You said. “If were going to be planting a garden and an orchard, there’s no reason we can’t put down a few flower bushes, too.” You squinted at him. “What did you do with that awful man who attacked me?”

“I didn’t eat him, if that’s what you’re asking,” He chuckled. “Can’t eat meat. Hurts the stomach, makes me really sick.”

“What did you do with him?”

“Threw him into the sea.”

“Did he survive?”

“Do you care?”

You snorted. “Not really.” You patted his paw. “Thank you, by the way.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me,” He said, picking apple skin out of his sharp teeth with the claw on his thumb. “People like him make me sick.”

“Have you met many like him?” You asked, curious.

He sighed. “A few. When I was small, humans kept me as a pet, not knowing I was sentient. They were… not kind.”

“I’m so sorry, Declan,” You said sympathetically. “Some people are complete shit. It’s even worse when they’re in groups.”

“You’re different, though,” He said.

“I shouldn’t be, that’s my point. When did people start forgetting to be kind?”

He smiled at you in a fond way. “I’m happy your different. When you started leaving the gifts, I was rather shocked. Happy, but shocked. To be honest, I didn’t expect you to thank me at all. I was expecting fear and rejection, maybe even hostility.”

“Why did you help me, then?”

He cocked his head, his brow furrowing. “Because you needed help? What other reason would there have been?”

You smiled at him and sighed. “Oh, Declan. Why can’t more people be like you?”

His smile widened and he ate another apple.

That night, he showed you the nest and told you to make yourself comfortable. You pulled the pearl, the clay deer, and a few other small trinkets Declan had left for you on the shelf closest to the nest.

“You kept them?” He asked wonderingly.

“Of course I did. They were gifts from a friend. What kind of person would I be to throw away such lovely things?”

Declan’s hands twitched and he had a strange, soft expression on his face. You thought he wanted to hug you, but instead he said, “You’ve had a long day. You should rest. Sleep well.”

He then retreated to the far side of the cave, got down on all fours, turned a full circle twice, and laid down. You laughed at yourself, almost expecting him to sleep upside down.

The rain stopped after a few days, and you convinced him to help you build a firepit so you could cook food. He went out to find stones to line it with and you went out to find some trees the storm had knocked down. You’d need to find an axe eventually, but for now you could simply strip the branches off of it to use as firewood.

After a few weeks, you both agreed that it might be safe to go back to your cottage under cover of nightfall. Amazingly, it was still standing and not much had been disturbed. Perhaps they were afraid anything you owned would be cursed. Well, all the better for you.

You grabbed all the clothes, blankets, tools, roving, hand spindles, and anything else that would be useful, stuffing it all haphazardly into large burlap sacks. You would have to leave your loom behind, but you could fashion a new one out of rough materials, if need be. You grabbed your axe and flints, and after a moment of looking around, you struck the flint against the axe into the straw mattress.

“What are you doing?!” Declan hissed.

“This place belonged to my parents,” You told him. “I’m not going to let anyone get their greedy hands on it. None of these monsters deserve it.” You handed him the axe and motioned for the door. “Let’s get out of here. I never want to see this town again.”

He grabbed the axe in his lower paw and walked without difficulty to a nearby tree, scaling up it effortlessly and took wing as people below began to shout. You lowered your face to Declan’s soft neck, breathing in the clean, warm scent of his fur, feeling true freedom for the first time in years.

 

 

The year was just at the line of middle spring, which was the perfect time to start planting. Declan took you to the edge of a different, far away town, where you purchased as many seeds and saplings you felt comfortable enough to carry, plus some small comfort items you didn’t take from your old cottage.

Arriving back at the cave, you began to clear some of the land surrounding it and showed Declan how to hand-till the earth. Declan’s fingers were long and held up his wings, and he was unable to grab or do much of anything with them besides fly and create shelter. Luckily, his long, lower limbs seemed to possess articulated feet with two thumbs. He did most things with these appendages, including feed himself.

It took a few days of hard work, but a good chunk of land was now separated out into neat rows. Declan also took the axe and cleared some of the branches from the canopy so that sunlight and rain could reach the crops.

Once that was done, you instructed him to start laying the trees six feet apart while you started planting the rows. Each row was a different crop; carrots, turnips, beans, etc.

You planted nectar flower bushes and berry bushes along the border of the giant hollow log for Declan, as well as some different types of melon and a tomatoes, which was one of the few savory things he could eat. It was shaping up to be a decent sized garden that could feed the both of you with plenty left over, provided you kept it up well.

As you finished planting your seeds, you went to help Declan place the last few trees down. When you finished, you looked over your work with a satisfied sigh.

“This is going to be great,” You said.

“Yes,” He agreed, smiling. “I may not even need to hibernate this year.”

“You hibernate?”

“Only when food is scarce, during winter. I’d starve otherwise.”

“Well, we won’t let that happen,” You said, patting his arm. “Unfortunately, these trees won’t bear fruit for at least five years. We’ll have to look after them closely until then.”

He blinked, looking at you with one of the strange expressions he got sometimes when you said nice things to him.

“What?” You asked him.

“Do you plan to still be here in five years?”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No,” He said, shaking his head fervently.

“Then I plan to be here,” You said, grinning at him.

The sweetest, softest smile spread across his features slowly, lighting up his eyes and making his ears twitch. You giggled and rubbed them, making him chirp in delight.

Declan was a wonderful friend and a good listener. You spent your days tending the garden together, talking about everything and nothing. He told you about his life, which had been a struggle from the start, and he asked about yours. He even help you hunt; he would scale the trees and look out for game and making his soft chittering noise so as not to spook them. He may not have eaten meat, but he didn’t begrudge you for doing it.

He had seen to your every comfort, even going so far as to carve a bathtub out of a huge fallen tree so that you didn’t have to bathe in the cold river. He was more than happy to haul the water up for you and give you your privacy, sitting outside the cave every time you took a bath.

The summer passed in bliss, and harvest time came. Declan helped you pull up the crops and took you to the far away village for jars and canning supplies so you could store for the cold months, trading some of your produce in exchange. Declan seemed excited to stay awake with you for the winter, telling you he hadn’t seen snow since he was a very small child. You smiled at his enthusiasm, looking forward to it yourself, even if it was just to see his reaction.

You spent the next few days making and saving, though you had to keep him from eating his weight everyday or you’d have nothing for winter.

“Sorry,” He’d say. “Force of habit. I’m usually bulking up around this time, preparing to hibernate. My body’s is still in self-preservation mode.” And then he’d steal a handful of berries and run off laughing.

You had to admit, you’d come to care deeply for Declan. You though he might care for you, too, but he had been a perfect gentleman in the months you had stayed with him, never touching you unless you touched him first, always sleeping away from you on the ground.

Mid-autumn, the temperature began to drop significantly at night, and you wondered if Declan was cold. He had given you every soft, warm thing in his cave to sleep with, so he had nothing to warm himself, caring only for your comfort. He assured you his fur would protect him, but you still worried.

Once particularly cold night, you got up to throw a log on the dwindling fire and raked the coals back to life, and saw him shivering in the renewed firelight. You frowned, going over to wake him.

“Declan,” You said softly, waking him by shaking his shuddering shoulder gently. “Declan, wake up.”

His head popped up, the fur on the left side ruffled a bit from sleep. “What is it? Are you all right?”

“Yes, but you’re freezing,” You said, taking one of his chilled arms and rubbing it to get some heat back into it. “Come to the nest and sleep next to me. It’ll be much warmer.”

He sat up, looking from the nest back to you. “Are… are you sure?”

“Yes, come on,” You said, pulling him to his feet. “What’s the point of staying awake to see the snow if you freeze to death first?”

He followed you to the nest and you motioned for him to step in first. The blankets were still warm for where you had slept, and he moaned loudly. You stepped in after him, careful not to step on his wings, and lay down next to him, putting your hands in the velvety fur of his chest.

Slowly, as if testing his boundaries, he wrapped his arms and leathery wings around you, pulling the blankets over both of you. You sighed and snuggled in.

“See?” You asked, muffled by his chest. “Isn’t this warmer?”

“Immeasurably,” He replied softly, his muzzle buried in your hair. He was asleep in seconds.

Autumn turned to winter, and you spent more time in the cave with Declan. The trees and bushes shivered in the cold, but no snow had fallen yet, there was just a lot of wind and freezing rain.

Declan continued to sleep in the nest with you, both of you sharing heat with each other, and he was never once inappropriate with you, though sometimes you kind of wished he was. Still, perhaps there was a good reason for why he didn’t try to engage with you and you were hesitant to push him. He had been through a lot, after all.

One morning, though, you woke up to the sound of Declan panting and grunting in your ear. Your back was against his front, and he was curled up around you. You suddenly noticed you felt movement; his hips bouncing against your clothed bottom over and over at a quick pace. You felt something nudging your thigh from behind. You turned your head and looked at his face, eyes closed, features relaxed, and you realized he was still sleeping.

A startled smile split your face and you wondered how long he was going to go on like this. After a minute, though, you called out.

“Declan. Declan, wake up.”

“Hmm?” He said, not quite waking. The motion of his hip continued.

“Declan, you’re dreaming,” You said, patting his cheek. “Wake up.”

His eyes opened, and the motion ceased. Suddenly, as if realizing what he was doing, he jumped up and pressed himself flat against the wall, his wings covering his body.

“I’m so sorry!” He cried. “I--I didn’t mean… I’m so ashamed… forgive me…”

“It’s all right, Declan,” You said.

“Oh, gods,” He moaned, covering his face. “You must think I’m disgusting…”

“No, really, it’s all right,” You said, taking hold of his arms and pulling them down so you could look at his face. “Really. This happens to humans all the time. Men and women and everyone inbetween.”

“It does?” He asked, and you nodded. “It’s never happened to me. I don’t know what to do to make it go away.”

You swallowed thickly, took a breath, and said, “I could… help… if you like.”

He didn’t answer, just stared at you and panted, his eyes wide.

“But if you don’t want to, it’s all right, I just--”

“Yes!” He said loudly, before modulating his tone and breathing, “Please.”

You pulled down his wings and looked at his body. At the apex of his legs, there was a large, bright pink organ sticking straight up out of a sheath. Warmth pooled at your midsection, and you flicked your eyes back up to his.

“Lie down,” You said.

He complied, laying in the nest propped up against several pillows so that he could watch what you were doing. You went to kneel between his legs, shucking off your nightgown and underwear as you do so. The chill made your nipples harden instantly.

He stared at your body reverently, his panting becoming frantic.

“Calm down,” You said softly, petting the fur on his stomach. His breathing slowed by a mere fraction. You reached up and took his face in your hands, kissing his muzzle. “Calm down, Declan. You’re too worked up.”

“I’m sorry,” He said, pulling your naked body close, nosing your neck and inhaling. “I’ve never done this.”

“It’s all right,” You said softly. “Kiss me.”

He does, the kiss sweet and gentle, the wings on his arms fluttering softly around you. You can feel him twitching underneath you, but his breathing calms and you pull back. He moans in dismay.

“Don’t worry,” You said, running your nails over the fur of his inner thigh. “You’re going to feel great in a few minutes.”

“What do--ohh!” He groaned long and loud as you let your fingers wrap around the head, slowly working your way down to the base. The panted started again and he spasmed underneath you. You pumped him slowly at first, letting him get used to the feeling, before lowering down and swirling your tongue in circles on the head.

His upper torso lurched forward with a gasp, his thumbs tangling in your hair, careful not to be too rough or stab you with his claws.

If this was indeed his first time, you knew he wouldn’t last long. It took some time to develop self-control in this situation, but you didn’t mind. You were just happy this was finally happening.

You had been right. It had only taken two pumps down the shaft into your mouth before he released down your throat, grunting loudly as each spasm shook his body, legs trembling.

Finally, when he was spent, he collapsed backwards onto the blankets, breathing heavily. You gently moved his wing out of the way and lay down next to him, waiting for him to settle.

When he did, he turned on his side to stare at you in awe.

“That was incredible,” He breathed onto your skin, nuzzling your breast with his muzzle, sniffing. “Thank you. Is is supposed to happen so quickly?”

“For men, it can sometimes, especially if they’re inexperienced and over stimulated,” You said, chuckling. “We can work on it.”

“We can?” He asked brightly, his ears perking up.

You couldn’t help but laugh at his eagerness. “Of course we can, love.”

His smile slipped and he stared at you with his mouth open in shock.

“Say that again,” He said in a whisper.

“Which part?”

“The last part.”

“What, __love__?”

He nodded, taking in long, slow breaths. “Did you mean that?”

Realizing what he was trying to ask, if in a roundabout way, you rolled your eyes, smiling at him tenderly. “Yes, Declan. I love you.”

He fell upon you with a pleased chirruping noise, kissing your face and neck and chest and any inch of your skin he could reach.

“Oh!” He exclaimed. “I’m so happy! I love you, too! I love you so much!”

You laughed as his fur tickled your skin.

He stopped and looked at you with endearing earnest. “I want… to… I don’t know… what can I…?”

You understood. “Let me lay on my back, all right?”

He obliges, moving so that you can take the position he had before. He mirrored what you had done, kneeling between your upraised legs. You opened them wide, moving your feet on either side of his hips. He stared at the space there in something like surprise.

“What is it?” You asked, slightly concerned.

“It…” He started, grasping for words. “It looks like a flower… like an orchid…”

You covered your mouth and laughed a little self-consciously. Reaching down with your hand, you touch the sensitive bundle of nerves under it’s hood.

“Remember how I used my tongue?”

He looks up at you and nods.

“Do that here. Like this.” You circle and stroke it, demonstrating for him.

He didn’t hesitate, bending down and flattening his belly against the nest, holding your hips with his long digits. His long tongue flickered out and he touched it to the heat between your legs with a soft moan. Your breathing caught in your throat and he looked up at you, questioning.

“It’s good,” you gasped. “Keep it up.”

He smiled with his tongue still pressed against you and continued to swirl it around the bud. You touched your breasts and kneaded the nipples hard like dough, moaning softly at first.

You told him exactly what you needed to get to your peak, and he followed you every instruction with great fervor. He was very receptive to direction. He touched what you asked him to touch, he sucked when you asked him to suck. When you begged him to go faster, he was only happy to comply. He watched your face closely the entire time, gauging your reactions and your twitching body.

It wasn’t long before you were a shaking, screaming mess. You showed him your entrance and asked him to press his tongue into that sensitive hollow. He did so immediately, moaning loudly, the vibrations of which pushed you closer to your edge.

You reached down with your hand as he did this and massaged the nub. He watched you do this, all the while his tongue was buried inside you, contracting and slurping at you. At some point, he gently nudged your hand out of the way and took over, observing you writhe and cry out under his touch. You used both hands to hold his head, locking him in place. He didn’t complain.

As your cries intensified, he withdrew his tongue and placed his mouth over the nerve cluster, sucking _hard_.

You crashed into into your peak with a loud scream, thrashing and twitching in his grasp, feeling a gush of fluid come out of you that he pulled back to observe with obvious interest, still touching the nerve bundle gingerly. When you finally came down, laying limp and sweating on the nest, he chuckled a breathy laugh.

“That was beautiful to watch,” He said, pulling himself up along your body, kissing as he went. He met your lips, and the kiss was no longer gentle. It was hungry, desperate. He kissed you so hard that you both had to stop to catch your breath, lest you smother each other.

You peeked down and realized he was hard again. You reached for it and touched it. He gasped and shuddered. You slid down and tilted your hips upward, leading him forward against your entrance.

The look on his face was wild and tense, his eyes questioned you. You raised up to kiss his lips, and nod. At your urging, he begins to press into you with a long groan of pleasure. You moan against him as he slides into you slowly, carefully, inch by inch. You loved the feeling of heat insides you, a degree different than your own, the delicious pressure opening you up wide. Your fingers tangled in the soft fur of his neck, his forehead pressed against yours until he had seated himself completely inside you and growing still, panting.

“Give yourself time,” You purred to him as he began to buck against you erratically. He stilled, his muscles quivering and ticking uncontrollably. He was gasping, struggling to maintain control. Inside, he pulsed and jumped in wondrous ways, and as much as you needed him to move, you also wanted him to enjoy the experience and not rush.

After a few minutes of stillness, during which time his muscles stopped jumping, you urged him to move slowly. He obeyed, pulling himself back until he was almost out and then thrusting back in again slowly.

“You all right?” You gasped as the sensations blotted out your brain.

He nodded. “Yes,” He said, opening his eyes to gazed down into yours. “Are you? Does it hurt?”

“No, it doesn’t. It feels so _good_.” You clenched your inner muscles around his shaft as proof.

He huffed and picked up speed, still relatively slow but a little more intense. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. He thrust deeper, hitting that amazing sweet spot deep inside, and you moaned into his mouth. His movements were erratic again, but this time he stopped on his own and got his bearings back before he could lose himself.

“Good,” You said encouragingly.

He smiled down at you. “I’m a fast learner.”

You grinned wickedly back. “I can tell.”

He was, indeed. Now that he had a rudimentary understanding, he began to experiment a little, trying strokes and positions that you might like, pleasuring you beyond rational thought. You were so caught up in the sensations that you lost all sense of time. It felt like he had been pounding away at you for days, and you loved every second of it. Whenever he would get too close to his peak, he would pull out and suckle at you, licking and nipping until you were unable to speak, and then plunge back in.

Finally, once he sensed you were rapidly losing your ability to move, he gripped your hips tightly and thrust so hard and so fast that you literally couldn’t feel anything else. It didn’t take long for him to reach his limit, and he released again with a loud shout. You felt the hot, wet fluid shoot into you at speed.

You had orgasmed so many times that day that you could barely feel them anymore, but the feeling of him hunched over you, shaking and snarling, as he emptied everything he had into you was a whole other thing. It set off bells in your head and make your vision go black for a moment. You would have cried out from the heat, but you had lost your voice a while ago.

He collapsed onto you with an exhausted grunt and you felt him exit your body and grow limp on your stomach, slowly sliding back into the sheath. You both lay motionless for a long, long time, unable to muster the strength to disentangle yourselves from each other.

After what seems like a year, he finally lifts his head and stares at you blearily.

“I made a mess,” He said.

You huffed a laugh through your nose. “Yeah.”

“Do you enjoy that?”

You nodded sleepily but enthusiastically. “Very much so. But I don’t think I’ll be able to move for a week.”

He laughed gently and tried to stand. It took a couple of attempts, and when he managed to find his feet, he staggered a bit. There was pearly white fluid clinging to the fur of his stomach and down his legs. You snickered a little.

“I’m going to go get some bathwater,” He said, stumbling to pick up the pails and yoke.

“But it’s freezing outside,” You protest. “Take the cloak and scarf I made you.”

He smiles at you brightly, putting both on. Shouldering the yoke, he stepped into the darkening world outside. Gods, you had been at it all day long. No wonder you were exhausted.

You moved the blanket that had been under you, now messy and sticky, and used a clean bit to wipe yourself then set it aside to wash it. You tried your best to stand up, but gave up after the fifth attempt.

Declan returned promptly, setting down the full pails and the yoke, bouncing excitedly. He handed you a dress and your cloak.

“Come and see! Come and see!” He said energetically, running to you, and back to the entrance, and then back to you.

“What’s going on?” You said, chuckling at him.

“Just come! Hurry!”

You made another attempt to stand, and immediately fell, your legs little more than wet noodles. He laughed boyishly and helped you to your feet, pulling the dress over your head and the cloak around you shoulders. He pulled you insistently toward the doorway.

“Let me put on my boots!” You protested, giggling and stepping into them. He took your hand and led you outside. You gasped.

The ground was glistening, and all around you, fluffy white snow was falling gently. It landed in your hair and on Declan’s soft shoulders, speckled against the dark fur. It danced in the air like a ballet, all delicate and dreamlike. Like you were in a different world. A better one.

You looked at Declan and he’s smiling so hard that he’s liable to crack his face.

“It’s amazing!” He breathed. Opening his arms wide as if to catch as many of snowflakes he could. He laughed openly, happily, warmly. Like a person unburdened by heartache, free of any hardship. You loved seeing him like this.

“You look happy, sweetheart,” You told him, and he swung around to snatch you up into his arms.

“I am,” He whispered into your hair. “I’m happier than I have ever been in all my life. This has been the best day and it’s all thanks to you. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

You pulled back to look at him, smiling sweetly. “It’s just the first of many, my love, and there is so much more to come.”

He kissed you with a fierceness he hadn’t yet displayed, and it left you breathless. “I can’t wait.” He said against your lips, and the kiss resumed with vigor.

It seemed like the two of you wouldn’t have any trouble staying warm this winter.


	2. Part 2

Five years had passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. You and Declan had spent that time tending to your garden and the small orchard, only venturing out when you needed something the little farm couldn’t provide, and basking in each other’s company. Every morning with him felt like a new adventure, one you never wanted to end. About two years ago he had found a ring, never mind exactly from where, and given it to you as a token of his love. In return, you were more than happy to call him husband.

One lazy summer day, he sat down on the edge of the farm, finished with the morning chores, looking wistfully into the middle distance.

“That’s quite a face,” You said, going to sit between his legs with your back to his chest. “What’s on your mind, my love?”

“Nothing really,” He said with a sigh. “Except… I just can’t help feeling like this place is missing something.”

“Like what?”

He wrapped his wings around you and snugged you in. “Like little feet running around, maybe.”

You looked around at him in surprise. “You want children?”

He eyed you apprehensively. “Is that a bad idea?”

“Well… no, but…” You said slowly, thinking. “Can we even have children? Isn’t our physiology too different?”

“I don’t know,” He said truthfully. “Maybe not. Asker’s mate is human, and she’s able to carry his eggs. She’s due to lay them any day now; he’s very excited.” Declan sighed, his eyes distant.

Asker was a naga that lived on the edge of Declan’s territory. He had taken a human woman as a mate almost three years ago. You and she visited each other regularly. It was nice to have a friend who knew what living in the wilderness with a non-human mate was like. You often had a lot to talk about.

You glared at him skeptically. “Is that what brought this on? Asker’s clutch?”

“Not entirely. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, actually. Asker’s brood just made it more present in my mind, I guess.” He sighed again. “I don’t know if we are able to make a child, but I’m more than willing to try. I love you and the farm, but it just feels like there’s more out there waiting for us, and we’re missing it. And I’d greatly love to see you with a little one in your arms. You’d make a wonderful mother.”

“Well,” You said, a grin stretching your face. You got up and pulled him to his feet. “No reason we can’t give it a shot. Why don’t we start now?”  

He chased you into the cave, laughing at your eagerness, that carefree, happy laugh that you so dearly loved to hear, as he gently lifted the dress off of your body. Declan never wore clothes other than the cloak you had made him to stave of the chill of winter, so undressing you was one of his favorite lovemaking rituals. Slowly peeling the garments from your body seemed to do a lot to get him in an intimate mood.

Once the clothes were gone, he pressed his nose to your body, sniffing delicately at the skin like it was his favorite flower. He smelled your hair, your neck, the space between your breasts, and down the line of your abdomen. The gentle breeze of his breath against your skin made you shiver and all the short hairs on your body stand on end. Your hands tangled in the fur of his head as he moved farther down.

He took your hand and sniffed up your arm back to your neck, moving to stand behind you, tenderly running his flat nose down your spine and over your buttocks. Eventually he found his way between your thighs, gently moving your legs apart.

The first flick of his long tongue nearly floored you, but he held you fast to keep you upright. You braced your hands against the rock wall as his tongue bathed you in a wave of sensations.

He lifted you and placed you face-down in the nest with your hips lifted. Looking back, you could see him hardening and slipping out of his sheath. He climbed over you, his arms on either side, pressing his face into your hair. You arched so that your back pressed tightly against him.

“I can’t wait to see you with a baby,” He whispered sweetly as he nibbled your shoulder. “You’ll look so beautiful.”

Before you could respond, he thrust into you hard. You cried out, your face pressed into the blankets. He stopped once he was in to the hilt, his hips against your bottom, and you could feel him quivering inside you. His breath came in pants as he settled himself.

After so long together, he was much more confident in his ability to please you. He savored it, taking his time, making you squirm and squeal and moan. His thrusts sped up, and your breathing synced to the rhythm. You rocked your hips underneath him, moving in tandem, helping him get to the edge of the cliff just as you were reaching yours.

The weight of him against you, the shelter of his wings around you, and the clean smell of his fur reminded you why you loved him, and how easy it was to do.

Your moans increased in pitch and you gripped the bedclothes as if in fear of falling.

“ _ _Declan!__ ” you gasped.

He began to snarl and hiss, and you felt the pulsing from inside as he got close, so close. The muscles inside you snapped shut around him as you felt the rush of ecstasy flood your body, screaming and grunting as he plowed into you again and again, spilling into you with a loud shout. You took all there was to take, laying against the pillows, shaking and gasping for breath. His entire body was taut against yours, and he shuddered every time the warm fluid shot out of him, speaking your name in a broken whisper over and over.

Finally, his arms gave out and he fell sideways. You pinched your legs closed, not letting any of the warmth escape. You wanted this for him, even if you were unsure about it yourself. He had given you a home and a purpose. He had saved your life and made you happy. If you could give him anything, anything at all, to repay that kindness, you were happy to do it.

You made love many times that day, and many days after. After six months, he was beginning to lose hope. After a year, he was ready to give up altogether.

Summer had come again, normally his favorite season, but he had no laughter in him this year. He did his chores mechanically, dejectedly, finding no joy in it anymore.

One night, after dinner, you sat with him next to the river as the sky darkened.

“I’m sorry, dear one,” You said sadly. “Sometimes, it’s just not meant to be.” You frowned. “I had great aunt who never had children, though she desperately wanted one. It took my parents years to have me. Maybe it runs in the family…” Your frown deepened to a grimace. “Maybe it’s my fault.”

“Hush, darling,” He said, stroking your cheek. “Maybe you were right when we started last year. Maybe our bodies are just too different. That’s no one’s fault.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” You agreed reluctantly. “I still feel awful. I know how badly you wanted this.”

“It’s all right, love,” He said, smiling fondly. “I still have you. I still have the farm. My life is already so full and wonderful, better than I ever could have hoped. There’s no guarantee that a child would make it any more perfect.” He pulled you into a soft kiss. “If it’s not possible, then it’s not possible. There’s no use dwelling on it.”

You heaved a heavy sigh. “You’re right.” You kissed him again before rising, offering your arms so he could get to his feet. “Well, back to business. The orange tree on the farthest side seems to be dying. The roots are rotting, I think. I want to replace it before it spreads to the other trees. I’m thinking a mango tree instead.”

He gasped. “Ah! Mangoes!”

He bounced up and trotted after you, tickling you as he passed. You giggled.

The next day after cutting down and pulling up the roots the diseased tree, you decided to go into town to see if they had any mango saplings. You might also pick up something to cheer Declan up. He said he’d put the idea of children behind him, but you knew it still bothered him.

Declan, as was usual when he took you to visit town, landed far enough away off the main road so as not to be seen and let you take the road on your own, staying up in the trees and keeping a close eye on you.

The townspeople knew you by name, the mysterious young woman who lived in the forest who brought with her the best fruit they’d ever tasted, and they knew better than to ask too many questions or she would take her bounty elsewhere.

You found a mango sapling among the other shrubs in the outdoor greenery shop. A few stalls down, you saw a new attraction: some sort of animal seller operating out of a wooden caravan. He had all sorts of small creatures in cages. Most of them were the normal sort of farm animals: chickens, pigs, even a little beehive. But he also had little fae animals: boggans, cluricauns, house trolls, even a shadow demon in a bottle that snarled at you as you passed.

You looked at the cages with a vague interested, thinking you might get a chicken and have eggs for breakfast every so often, when a medium sized cage caught your eye. Inside, cowering against the back of the cage, was a little creature about the size of a house cat with soft-looking, reddish fur. It had leathery looking wings and high, pointed ears. You gasped, kneeling down to look at the little creature more closely.

“Hey there, little one,” You cooed. “Are you a regular bat or… something else? Do you need help?”

At the tone of your voice, it lifted it’s head and looked at you with large, black eyes. Eyes that begged you to help it. Eyes just like Declan’s.

“Hey,” you said to the merchant. “How much for this bat?”

“More than you got, missy,” The merchant said in a gravelly voice. “It took me weeks to trap that thing. She’s reserved.”

“I’ll match the bid,” You said. “I’ll double it.”

“Do you have coin? Because otherwise I’m not interested.”

“Is there anything you would take?”

“Well, it’s not often I get an offer like that from a pretty young thing like you, but the money I’d make from her would buy me lots of women. Shove off!”

You left in a huff, stomping back toward the main road. Once the town was out of sight, you heard a whooshing above your head and ducked quickly into the woods.

Declan dropped from the trees above and landed in front of you, coming forward excitedly.

“Oh, you found one!” He said. “That’s lovely, I ad--”

“Declan, don’t worry about the tree,” You said, taking his face in your hands. “I think I found another one of your kind.”

He blinked. “What?”

“That travelling animal merchant, he had a little bat creature in a cage. I think she’s like you.”

His eyes went wide and he seemed speechless for a moment. “How can you tell?”

“I can’t for certain. She’s a little different than you; she has redder fur and a different snout. But it’s her eyes.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember the first day we met? When you were captured by the men in town and tied to the ground?” You asked him, and he flinched a little in memory. “The look you gave me, the fear, it’s the same one she gave me just now. A look that says she knows exactly what’s going on and she needs help.”

Declan frowned and looked down in thought. “If I could see her, I’d know.”

You nodded. “What if we returned tonight? Late, after everyone is asleep?”

He agreed. “If she is like me, I don’t want to her to grow up the way I did: in a cage at the mercy of heartless people. If we can help her, we will.”

That night, you waited sleepless until the small hours of the morning. You climbed onto Declan’s back and he climbed the largest oak closest to your cave, taking wing soundlessly.

Inside the quiet and still town center, he landed just as silently as he flew, and you drew him to the closed wooden caravan. Most of the cages were on an extension behind the caravan. There, hidden behind the chicken coop, was the cage containing the little bat, chained to a bar that ran parallel to the caravan. Declan picked up the cage, careful not to rattle the chain, and reached a clawed thumb in to gently nudge her awake. She woke up with a chirp and looked at him, her eyes wide.

“Gods,” He breathed. “You were right. I haven’t seen another one of my kind in so long. She’s just a baby, hardly older than a year.”

“Her parents must be out there somewhere,” You said. “They have to be looking for her.”

“I don’t think so,” Declan said in a strangled whisper.

“What do you mean?”

Under the awning, Declan shifted a bear pelt and held up a different one. It had reddish fur and a leathery expanse of skin. You felt sick to your stomach.

“There’s two full grown skins here,” Declan said, horrified. “And a half-grown one, too.”

“Oh, Gods,” You said as he dropped the pile in disgust.

Declan was heaving large breaths in an effort to stay calm. He snapped the lock off the little bat’s cage and pulled her into his arms, petting the soft ridge of fur along her shoulders tenderly and speaking softly into her ear.

“It’s all right, little one,” He said, holding her close. “You’re safe now. Don’t worry. We’re going to get you out of here.”

She blinked up at him with her wide, frightened eyes. It was a minor miracle that neither she nor the other creatures were kicking up a fuss to wake the merchant. Maybe they understood enough to keep silent.

“What do we do?” He asked desperately, looking at the creatures still in cages who were peering up at the two of you. “We can’t leave them.”  

“Open the cages,” You said quietly. “Let him chase the chickens for a while.”

You pulled the small troll down from the hook that kept him off the ground. House trolls enjoyed the shelter of human homes but only had magic when their feet or hands touch the living earth, which is why they lived in basements and cellars. You managed to bend the bar enough to allow him to squeeze through. He gave you a toothy grin and snapped his fingers, disappearing into the air, taking the jar with the shadow demon in it with him.

Declan began opening the cages as silently as he was able, encouraging the creatures to flee, still holding the little bat in his arms. She clung fast to him and stayed silent, watching the creatures scatter with her curious little eyes.

Then, there was a clattering inside the caravan.

“He’s awake!” You said, pulling Declan back toward the woods. “Time’s up, we need to go!”

Flinging open the chicken coop as a distraction, the two of you dashed back to the treeline just as the merchant shouted after you. You heard an arrow hiss past your face. You climbed quickly onto Declan back and he scaled a tree, taking to the air as the man’s screams and arrows followed you into the night.

Back at the cave, Declan landed gently, letting you step down from his back and carrying the little bat, which clung to his chest during the flight, into the shelter. He grabbed a few fresh apples and pears from the pantry, laying them in the nest and putting her down with the two of you sitting on either side, watching her. She immediately went to the little pile, munching happily on the fruit, making little squeaking sounds as she chewed.

“What should we call her?” You asked.

He sighed sadly. “I’m sure she already had a name, one given to her by her parents, but she’s too young to tell us what it is. By the time she’s old enough to articulate it, she’ll have forgotten.”

“What would you have called our baby, if we’d had one?”

He thought about it. “Soraya,” He said. “For a girl. Had it been a boy, perhaps Teo.”

“Soraya is a good name,” You said, watching the little one eat. She’d had her fill of fruit and began to sniff around the nest. Eventually, she took a blanket in her mouth and pulled it toward you, curling up in your lap. You wrapped her in the blanket and held her in your arms, smiling down, rocking her and humming.

You looked up to see Declan watching you with the gentlest smile you had ever seen.

“This is what I wanted,” He whispered as Soraya slept. A deeply unhappy frown settled on his face. “But I hate that her family had to die in order for me to have it. I barely remember my own parents, but I know I dearly wanted to have them with me when I was growing. We can’t replace them, but we can care for her. We can give her a better life than what that horrible human had planned.”

“He’ll be looking for her, you know,” You told him.

“I know,” He said, scowling. “And we’ll be ready for him if he does. I’ll go out tomorrow and tell Asker and the others nearby there’s a poacher that has no qualms about stealing children and slaughtering their parents. That’ll be enough to get them on high alert. We may have our clashes, but forest folk looks out for each other.”

An idea came to you then, and you blinked at the revelation. “What if that’s too limited a scope? What if we looked outside the forest?” You asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean there are many just like Soraya,” You said, moving close to sit in the circle of his arms. He placed a hand on Soraya’s head and stroked it softly as she slept. “We were thinking too small, just you and me, bat and human. But there are other creatures like us, cast out and hunted, who need people to care about them. Centaurs, fae, lizardfolk, gnolls, lots of creatures who don’t have anyone and need people to look after them and protect them. What if that’s us?”

He blinked at you silently, deep in thought. “But the farm is small.”

“We can make it bigger. And small hands become big hands, the helped becomes the helpers. Don’t you see? You said last year that you thought we were meant to do something greater and that we were missing it. Maybe this,” You looked down at Soraya, gripping your dress and grunting in her sleep. “What if she’s it? What if they are? This place has been a paradise for me. We could share that with others who need us.”

A very slow smiled creased his face. “You’re absolutely right,” He said. “My focus has been far too narrow. A child is a child, regardless of race. We could help so many!”

His enthusiasm after months of despair was lovely to see. “Let’s give Soraya a little time to adjust. Then we can make plans.”

“Yes,” He said, still stroking her head. She made a soft chittering noise that took you back when you first met Declan, the day he save your life, and you couldn’t help but smile. “She’s been through a lot. Let’s give her some time to heal.”

You and Declan took a short nap with Soraya lying between you, snoring softly. Late the next morning you took her out into the sunlight, letting her climb trees and explore the farm. She seemed to like it there, jumping from the high branches of the fruit trees down into Declan’s arms, then climbing up to do it again. He hadn’t laughed like that in months.

Later in the day, you and Declan took Soraya with you and trekked to Asker’s cave, braving his protective aggression to inform him of the poacher. He growled at you as you approached, slithering to and fro in front of the mouth of his cave where his mate and children were playing.

It’s not that he disliked either you or Declan, but instincts always win out. He calmed a little when his mate joined him outside, greeting you brightly and cooing over your new addition. Asker said he’d watch for the poacher and keep his children close, thanking you for the warning. Bidding him and his mate well wishes, you and your family moved on to visit the other forest creatures.

That evening, you watched Declan and Soraya play on the floor, her attacking him with high-pitched little yowls that made him laugh, feigning defeat and rewarding her with a berry every time she got him on the ground. Finally she grew tired and climbed into your arms to sleep.

“We’ll keep her safe,” Declan said, snaking his way into the nest beside you. “Nothing will ever hurt her again. Not while I’m alive.”

“Maybe use different terms,” You said, scrunching up your nose. “I’m not all right with the idea of you dying any time soon.”

“Trust me, I don’t plan to,” He said. “I have far too much to live for. And soon, when we find the rest of our family, I’ll have even more. I have so much. I’m ready to share my good fortune with others.”

“Me too,” You said, turning in his grasp to face him. He kissed you sleepily, having worn himself out with Soraya. It was a good tired, though. A happy tired. “I love you, Declan.”

“I love you,” He said. “And I was right. You’re a wonderful mother.”

You smiled at him and snuggled into his chest. Soraya stretched and yawned with a squeak. Declan chuckled at her, closing you both into his protective embrace. There may be trouble soon, but for now, you smiled, cuddled in, and slept.


End file.
